It is time once again for dedicated feeder-tenders to sign up for
Project FeederWatch, the winter census project you can do from your
kitchen window. This is a wonderful program that enables ordinary folks
to take their enjoyment of our feathered winter visitors a notch further
and make a real contribution to bird population science. One of several
Citizen Science programs run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in
partnership with National Audubon, Project FeederWatch is the oldest and
largest.

Project FeederWatch had its roots in Ontario in the mid-1970s.
Through Canada's Long Point Bird Observatory, Dr. Erica Dunn
established the Ontario Bird Feeder Survey in 1976. After a successful
10-year run with more than 500 participants, its organizers realized
that only a continental survey could accurately monitor the large-scale
movements of birds. Therefore, Long Point Bird Observatory decided to
expand the survey to cover all of North America.

You do not have to be a super birder to participate. You only need
to be able to identify the birds that come to your feeders. But you must
be willing to commit to keeping an eye on your feeders for a couple of
hours or more during two consecutive days every two weeks during the
winter months. There is a $15 fee for enrolling in the program
($12 for Lab of Ornithology members.). You will receive a project kit
and the Lab's very informative quarterly newsletter, BirdScope.
Participants report that the tremendous satisfaction they receive
from participating in the program is well worth the small investment
of time and money.

You can sign up now if you have Internet access at Project FeederWatch. If you are interested in what other Citizen Science
projects Cornell has, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology website
has a number of projects you may want to investigate. If you can't register
electronically, we plan to have registration material available at our
fall programs. Or contact The Cornell Lab of Ornithology 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850 Tel: 800.843.2473.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact either of the following: